


You Can Lead a Turtle to Water but You Can’t Make Him Drink

by fireworksinthenight



Category: TMNT (2007), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Canon 180° Divergent, Canon Divergent, Family, Family Drama, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Turtles First
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:46:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24947860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fireworksinthenight/pseuds/fireworksinthenight
Summary: 2007 universe. Splinter wonders why Leonardo doesn’t come home. His sons… not so much.
Relationships: Donatello & Leonardo & Michelangelo & Raphael (TMNT), Leonardo & Splinter (TMNT)
Comments: 64
Kudos: 98





	1. Where Is Leo?

**Author's Note:**

> _A plot bunny loosely inspired from the 2007 movie. Loosely as in "I took the premise and not much else, and maybe not even that"._   
>  _It goes without saying that I couldn't be less sorry about this._

The night was almost at an end when Splinter relented. Tonight wouldn't be the night when his son Leonardo would come home.

With a sigh, he switched off the TV and stood up from the couch. Now he could hear Donatello talking to a client on the phone; 24/7 really meant 24/7 for the company that employed him.

If one year ago someone had told the old rat that his genius of a son would embrace such a career, he wouldn't have believed it. Tech Support seemed way below Donatello's level of skill. But then, he wouldn't have believed that Michelangelo would provide entertainment for birthday parties, either.

Splinter made for his bedroom, his sharp ear catching Michelangelo's soft snores behind the closed doors. Nothing came from Raphael's room, though, and the rat could only guess that his hotheaded son had gone out again.

Raphael hadn't been much home since Leonardo hadn't come back from his year in solo, one week ago.

Splinter hoped that nothing bad had happened to his son; at least nothing _permanently_ bad.

But maybe Leonardo was just biding his time; of course he couldn't afford to be seen, he might not have had a choice. Who knew what he had experienced during his year of training alone?

Splinter hadn't talked to his other sons about Leonardo's lateness; all three of them were subtly avoiding in-depth conversation, and he didn't have the heart to insist.

All he could do was waiting, and hoping that tomorrow night would be the night that gave him his son back.

* * *

Seen from the rooftops, New York City was beautiful.

At least it was Raphael's opinion, and as for so many of his opinions, it might as well have been set in stone.

However, New York City's beauty was the least of his worries right now. No, at the moment Raphael was dealing with one of the rare persons he considered more stubborn than himself - along with Donnie in a bad mood and Mikey for everything related to pizza - aka his brother Leo.

Said brother was right in front of him, with his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed, and everything in his posture screamed ' _I won't budge on this, deal with it.'_

Raphael tried to keep a calm, level-headed voice.

"Leo, it has been one week already. Splinter will be too happy to see you to question what you'll say. Just come home!"

Leonardo didn't answer, and Raphael expanded. "We'll back up your story. Donnie will check you up for any potential exotic sickness, Mikey will make up tales of the jungle and say they're from you, and I'll pretend I'm still mad I wasn't allowed to go with you."

Leonardo's glare would have turned a thug to ashes, but Raphael didn't even blink. It wasn't for him anyways; it was more like a reflection of Leo's mixed-up emotions. The guy couldn't have a healthy emotional talk to save his life.

"I refuse to lie to Splinter."

Raphael rolled his eyes, and ever the practical one, he promptly suggested a solution.

"Then tell him the truth!"

Leonardo turned away from his brother to gaze in the distance. "I can't," he whispered. "He won't understand. It'll break his heart."

"You can't hide from him forever, either." Raphael thought for a while. "I mean, you could, but it wouldn't be very practical. And I'm pretty sure it'll break his heart too if you never come back."

Leonardo bowed his head in shame. "I know, Raph." He sighed deeply. "But how," he added, talking more to himself than to his brother, "just how am I supposed to tell him that I never left?"


	2. He Was Told to Leave...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Could this be… a second chapter? (Good news: next ones will be updated faster.)_  
>  _Thank you so much to everyone who showed interest!_

_One year earlier_

Splinter waited for his son's reaction. Leonardo was usually very good at keeping an impassible face, but his father's words had caught him unprepared.

"You want me to leave?"

Splinter nodded solemnly, conscious of the gravity of this moment. His next words might very well make the difference between Leonardo thinking he was dismissed and him believing his father trusted him enough to send him out on his own.

"It's time for you to travel the world on your own, to take your own decisions without my guidance. It'll make you stronger, my son."

"But..."

Leonardo cut himself off. Splinter waited for him to gather his thoughts. He believed he had a good idea of what his son was thinking.

"What about the others?" Leonardo finally asked. "Will you send them out too?"

Splinter smoothed his beard.

"They're not ready yet," he answered.

Besides, Splinter had no intention of staying alone for an entire year while his sons wandered the Earth. Waiting for the return of one of them would be hard enough.

"They will grow in strength in your absence, as you will," he added, putting as much conviction as he could in his words.

Leonardo hesitated. "Yes, Master Splinter," he finally said, his words so low his father barely caught them.

"Very good. Now go tell them."

Leonardo bowed, stood up and left Splinter's room, his movements perfectly silent. Splinter waited until his son was far enough not to hear the deep sigh escaping his lips.

He was convinced that his decision was the right one. His sons had never been separated for so long - they had, in fact, never been separated at all. It wasn't healthy. Ninja needed to stand on their own, to trust their own strength and their own abilities.

Especially when said ninja where mutant turtles.

When Leonardo would return successfully to them, Splinter would finally be convinced that he had done well in his self-appointed task - preparing them for the world.

* * *

Leonardo stood in front of his brothers, expecting to be met with heartfelt protests bound to shatter the shocked silence reigning in their living room.

He wasn't disappointed.

"It's a joke, right, Leo?"

Mikey was watching him with such hope that Leonardo's stomach churned.

"No, Mikey, I'm serious. Splinter wants me to leave New York for one year, alone."

"But you can't go alone! What about us?" Mikey did his best puppy-dog eyes to show how much they would be lost without him.

Leonardo resisted. His father and Sensei had made a decision, and it was his duty to follow his orders.

Like it was his brothers' duty to follow Leonardo's orders since Splinter had appointed him their leader.

"I have to, Mikey."

Leonardo turned his gaze to his other brothers to avoid subjecting himself to the view of a disappointed Michelangelo. Both Raph and Donnie seemed to be under shock.

His purple-banded brother recovered first.

"If you have to."

As Leonardo knew, Donnie's calm didn't mean his mind wasn't in turmoil, far from it. But like Leonardo himself, he wouldn't go against a decision from Splinter.

"Congrats, Leo," Donnie added, much to Leonardo's surprise. "It looks like your training is at its end and it's the final test."

Leonardo blinked. He hadn't seen it that way, but it made sense. Splinter wouldn't send him out without being certain he knew everything he had to in order to survive.

"Yeah, congrats, Leo," Mikey added hurriedly.

Leonardo smiled. If it was his thing, he might have hugged them both - he knew it was as hard for them as it was for him.

"Thanks, guys."

Now of course it couldn't be that easy, as the brother that hadn't reacted yet soon proved it.

"One year? One entire year? And you're leaving next week? That's what Splinter said?"

Raph's blank tone wasn't a good sign.

"Yes."

Leonardo tried to think about ways to sugarcoat it and couldn't. Not that he really wanted to anyways - and if he was completely honest about it, he would welcome an epic fit of anger from his brother right now.

Nothing about Splinter's decision felt fair, and he couldn't say it - he was supposed to lead by example, after all, not to second-guess their master's orders - but it would feel good if _someone_ did.

But Raph didn't add another word as he left the room.

Leonardo didn't wonder for long where he had gone. His brother's outraged shouts were perfectly audible from the living room.

A very heartwarming sound.

"With all due respect, Master Splinter, what were you thinking?"

Splinter's reply was lost to Leonardo. Probably something like 'Calm down, my son.'

Leonardo headed for Splinter's quarters with the fastest and most discrete of grins, followed close by Donnie and Mikey.

Raph was pacing in front of their impassible father.

"Leo says he's leaving! Next week! For a year!"

"That is correct, my son."

"And that we can't come with him!"

"That, again, is most correct, Raphael."

"But… But…" Raph suddenly stopped, as if struck by lightning. His face took a smug expression. "He can't. Who'll lead if anything happens in New York?"

Splinter didn't even blink. "Donatello will lead in Leonardo's absence."

Leonardo didn't miss his brothers' shocked gasps, but he had already come to that same conclusion. As much as he hoped that it wouldn't be needed, if someone had to lead it better be a turtle acknowledging the existence of strategy.

"What? Come on, Master Splinter, you can't do that!" Raph said once his speech capacity was restored.

"I can, and I do, my son," Splinter said firmly enough to shut him up.

"Congrats, Donnie," Mikey said in a strangled voice.

Donnie turned to Leonardo, more than a hint of panic in his eyes. Leonardo found the strength to smile reassuringly at him.

"You'll do great, Donnie."

Raph snorted and Leonardo glared at him for the first time since the beginning of his outburst. His brother shrugged and crossed his arms, refusing to look at Donnie, Splinter or Leonardo.

Leonardo really hoped he wouldn't make things too difficult for the others in his absence.

* * *

The time to leave came way too soon. On this occasion, Leonardo learned just how awful he was at saying goodbye.

Donnie had equipped him with too many doohickeys for his liking, but he wasn't going to turn down his brother's gifts. Besides, who could say for sure what he would need in his journey? Maybe both the heat socks and the portable hang-glider would prove useful.

Mikey had spent as much time as he could with him, making him promise to remember everything he would do and see so he could tell them about it when he would return - and one year wasn't that long, right? He would soon be back, right?

Raph… Well, Raph had mostly avoided him. There was no doubt his brother hadn't come to terms with their soon-to-be situation. He was, however, there to see Leonardo leave - and every word Leonardo had prepared just felt wrong.

"Take care," was all he could say.

And now he was looking at the perfect boat, bound for Central America. Sneaking inside it would be child's play for him. It was a golden opportunity, one you shouldn't miss.

Leonardo hesitated.

His brothers…

_Donnie's reluctance._

_Mikey's sadness._

_Raph's hurt._

These weren't the memories he wanted to take with him. He wanted to see his brothers happy and laughing and enjoying themselves, so he could call upon the power of that happiness during his days and weeks and months of solitude…

And Splinter hadn't said anything about leaving New York _at once_ , just that he had one year to travel the world on his own. Who would mind if he delayed his departure for a few days? He wouldn't let himself be seen, of course. Besides, wasn't he supposed to prove himself? What better test of his stealth skills than watching his brothers - the ones who knew him so well, trained ninja like himself - unnoticed?

There would be other boats.


	3. ... But Then...

Raphael was furious.

The feeling wasn't foreign to him, but there were levels in his anger - and right now, he was really, really furious.

Besides, it had been more than two weeks and he was _still_ as angry about the _same freaking thing_ \- this was a first.

Normally he would have made his peace with whatever put him in this state of mind a long time ago.

But not this time. Each time he remembered Leo telling them he was leaving - alone - for a year - like it didn't matter that they, they needed him he-

"I don't care! I don't even care if he never comes back! I don't need him!" Raphael yelled into the void of this chilly night.

Then he ran away from the place, just in case someone had heard him, and began looking for trouble.

This had been his favorite occupation in the last two weeks, but until then he had been careful enough to respect some basic rules - not engage if he was truly overpowered, call Casey for reinforcements, use stealth - because yes, he could use stealth, he was a ninja too, and a good one at that - but tonight, he was in the mood to do something really, really stupid.

Taking-on-his-own-every-thug-in-the-city-and-beating-them-to-a-pulp-with-his-bare-hands-until-he-collapsed-from-exhaustion level of stupid.

_Now what would you think of that, Leo?_

Leo would have disapproved, of course. Like Raphael cared. Who did he think he was, to ditch them like that?

Splinter demanded it. So what?

So what?

Raphael kicked the discarded lid of a garbage can and watched it burst against the wall.

He didn't even want to hang out with his brothers, not while he was in this state. He didn't trust himself to pull his punches.

Donnie and Mikey kept repeating to themselves that one year would soon pass. Donnie had even applied to a job, like he was a stupid human! And Mikey intended to do the same! And they hadn't once trained together in the dojo - Leo would freak out if he knew.

_He doesn't care._

Why didn't Splinter send them all out? Did he think Leo was better than them? What a joke.

And Donnie was supposed to replace Leo. Donnie who would rather build machines all day.

What did it make him, Raphael?

He wasn't good enough to leave with his brother. He wasn't good enough to lead the brothers who stayed.

_Aaaaaargh!_

His head was going to explode if he didn't vent soon - in a very painful, very physical way.

Luckily, he was hearing in the distance the unmistakable sound of a brawl going on full-force.

* * *

Leonardo was running into the night, trying to track his brother.

When Raph had shouted that he didn't care - that he didn't need Leonardo - of course Leonardo knew that it was the anger talking, but still… Still, it hurt.

He had remained frozen for maybe half a minute, and it had been enough for his brother to vanish.

Ten days ago, Leonardo had found an abandoned apartment on the top floor of a building that threatened to collapse any moment, neatly located far, far away from the lair. He had scavenged the streets - he didn't dare to come into the sewers - and found cardboard and an old patched blanket. Food wasn't a problem. New York was too rich a city not to throw away perfectly fine dishes - and besides, he wasn't a picky turtle.

A childhood spent in the sewers taught you that.

When he had been confident that his shelter would be good enough for a few days, Leonardo had dared to look for his brothers.

But to his surprise, he couldn't find the three of them together. It was like they didn't hang out anymore.

He had, however, caught sight of Mikey skateboarding on the rooftops alone, and of Raph fighting with Casey against whatever villain had the misfortune to cross their path.

From Donnie, there was no trace. It was likely he hadn't even left the lair. Maybe he had begun some grand project to keep himself busy?

But tonight, Raph was alone and he seemed in a particularly dark state of mind. Leonardo had a feeling it would be a bad idea to just leave him be, which is why he had followed him - and why he was now trying to find him again.

What did his brother have in mind?

* * *

Raphael arrived at the entrance of the alleyway and observed the row of bikes. Apparently, the brawl was a settling of scores between two gangs.

When he saw the discarded helmet on the ground, he suddenly had THE idea. Forget about bare hands. Headbutts were way better!

There were two street lamps in the area, and he quickly switched them off by a precise throw of his sai.

He would pick up his weapons later. He wouldn't need them for this fight.

Putting on the helmet, he roared and ran into the melee.

* * *

When the police interrogated some of the gang members later, they were met with descriptions of a 'tank', a 'truck', a 'tank truck' and a 'wall of bricks'. One of the tough guys even added, attracting himself several eye rolls, ' _and it had my helmet!'_

The mystery was never solved and the whole event was blamed on hallucinogenic mushrooms.

* * *

Raphael was beaming. This had been a great idea, one of the best he ever had.

_Take that, Leo. I don't need you to have fun!_

He felt lighter than ever. He took off his helmet and felt even lighter. It was a good, faithful helmet, which had endured its fate without breaking.

Raphael jumped to grab the lower rung of a ladder leading to a fire escape - he wanted to go to the rooftops and admire the sight - but he missed and fell back to the ground.

And wait, what about his sai? There was something about his sai.

Ah, yes. He had to pick them up. He had…

Raphael wiped some sweat from his arm and was confused by how slimy it felt.

Like it was…

_Blood. Sh-_

Raphael never got to finish that thought. One second later, he had lost consciousness.

* * *

The ground was soft, softer than it should have been. It was an alleyway, after all. And the sun…

_Wait a minute. The sun?_

Raphael opened his eyes, immediately awake. He was lying on a blanket, his head resting on a pillow. Sunlight was coming through slits in the planks nailed against a window.

He was in an abandoned apartment. How had he landed here?

"Don't move."

The voice was like an electroshock.

" _Leo_?"

And sure enough, his brother was there, leaning over him from the place where he sat to look him in the eye.

He didn't look especially happy.

"Casey was calling your phone when I arrived. He wanted to know where you were - apparently you told the others that you would spend the night and the morning after with him. I told him everything was under control. Why didn't you put your phone on silent mode?"

"Why didn't I… What the shell? What are you doing there?"

"Making sure you don't bleed to death in the streets."

Raphael checked his body. His injuries had been patched up with great care. He didn't even feel that bad - he had seen worse. He was embarrassed that he had fainted, sure, but he knew that in a few hours he would be able to stand and walk and come back to the lair.

"I've seen worse."

"I know, or I would have called home so Splinter could take a look at you."

Raphael winced at the mere thought of what his father would have done to him. Would he have used needles? He hated needles.

Wait. Why was he thinking about needles when his brother, the one who was supposed to have left the city two weeks ago, upsetting everyone including Raphael - how dare he - when that brother was talking to him?

"You didn't leave?"

Leo cleared his throat. "Not yet. I was going to, but I… I thought…"

Raphael waited for the rest of Leo's embarrassed answer, which didn't come. Something warm and happy spread inside his chest.

Had his brother been unable to leave them after all?

"It's not that I'm complaining," Raphael said with a grin. "I'm just surprised."

"I'm still going to leave," Leo added hurriedly. "In a few days."

Raphael's grin disappeared. "Oh really? Then I'm going to find myself another brawl. In a few days. I've found a new way to fight that's doing wonders-"

"Raph!"

"But it's none of your business, of course. You have to leave, I get that."

Raphael managed to cross his arms without wincing and watched the ceiling with his best stubborn expression.

"Raph, be reasonable."

"Like I'll ever want to be that. You know it's one of the rare points Mikey and I are in perfect agreement about."

"This is blackmail. Plain and simple."

Were Leo's teeth gritted? It certainly sounded like they were.

"Call it what you want."

It was becoming harder to keep his gaze on the ceiling - Leo's face must be priceless right now.

Silence stretched for a long while. Raphael would have to blink soon. Could you even get into a staring contest with a ceiling?

Leo spoke first.

"You're _insufferable_."

And Raphael knew he had won.


	4. ... It Kinda Got...

Mikey was sad.

Everything had gone too fast. One night the four of them were happily scouting the city for all kinds of trouble and the next Splinter said Leo had to leave for one entire freaking year. Was his old father becoming senile or something?

And now Raph was never home - one day he had even come back with bandages and refused to let anyone examine him - and Donnie barely left his newly converted-into-a-call-center lab.

Mikey had asked him why he had chosen to take a job. Granted, it had a pay, but they had managed without the money until then, so why?

Donnie had answered that he wanted to keep his mind busy and left it at that.

At first Mikey hadn't understood - couldn't his brother keep his mind busy with new inventions like he always did? - but as days passed and everything reminded him of Leo, and with Raph avoiding them and Donnie working non-stop...

Well. He had decided to take a job, too.

As he felt sad, he had chosen a job in the entertainment industry. He made children laugh, always with success - either because of his jokes or because they victimized him.

Eh. Kids.

Besides, it was only temporary. Only eleven months left, then Leo would come back and everything would go back to normal.

* * *

It had been an especially hard day of work. Mikey felt whacked, so much that he had barely the strength to reach the couch and collapse.

"Guys, I'm home! Anybody wants to play videogames with me?"

He got no answer - not that it really surprised him - and shrugged. Videogames were also fun on your own.

He switched on the TV and had the time to see a glimpse of the day's news. The identity of the mysterious new group of vigilantes that kept streets safe at night, somewhere on the other side of the city, was still a mystery.

Mikey daydreamed that it sounded like a nice activity. Maybe he should become a vigilante, too. He could have a nice costume and a cool name, like The Nightwatcher or something.

He then got engrossed in his videogame and let time fly.

Barely three hours and a nap later, he felt ready to go skateboard a little. He stood up and checked on Donnie. The poor guy was asleep at his desk. Mikey gave him a pillow to make things a little more comfortable but didn't have the heart to wake him up and ask him if he wanted to come.

Not to mention Donnie would certainly decline.

Mikey grabbed his skateboard and made for the kitchen for a short snack. He wasn't going to exercise with an empty stomach, and the three pizzas he had eaten this evening on his way home didn't count.

The fridge was once again almost empty. Mikey rolled his eyes. His brothers kept telling him that he was a bottomless pit, but he wasn't the only one taking comfort from food these days. At several occasions he had seen Raph bring a double portion to his room.

Said Raph was precisely coming out of his room, and Mikey took this opportunity to complain.

"Raph! Where is the rest of the potato gratin Splinter cooked for us?"

"I don't know, Mikey, maybe you ate it without remembering." Raph passed by him with a shrug.

"And there are no eggs left! You could at least write a grocery list!"

But Raph was already out of the lair.

Mikey rolled his eyes, hard, and vented his frustration on two popsicles. Raph should at least have gained some weight, but no. He was as fit as ever.

Life was so unfair.

Not that Mikey was fat by any means. And besides, the fact that Raph was lifting weights while Mikey himself played videogames had to be taken into consideration.

Speaking of which, he would have to remember to train before Leo came back. His month without training was beginning to show and he didn't want to incur the wrath of his brother. Unless Leo wouldn't notice? Nah, no such luck.

There was no hurry, though.

Eleven months.

* * *

Mikey fully intended to skateboard to his heart's content, but not ten minutes after he had gone out into the night, he happened to notice Raph's shadow.

No one else would have noticed it, as Raph was making a definite effort to be stealthy and he was a first class ninja, but Mikey knew every shadow of his family by heart, as well as their distinct scent - and that mix of sweat and grumpiness was definitely Raph's.

So of course Mikey decided to follow him with the utmost discretion. Raph lead him to a building in really poor shape - Mikey wouldn't want to live in there for sure - and checked a last time if he wasn't being followed by looking right, then left, then up, then down.

Mikey moved left, then right, then down, then up. At ninja speed, of course.

Satisfied, Raph slid inside the building through one of the windows of the top floor. Mikey kept on his toes and came closer.

"I brought you better food," Raph was saying.

Mikey's interest, which was already high, skyrocketed.

"Thank you."

And that's when Mikey began to doubt his senses, because this voice sounded very very familiar.

But its owner was supposedly very very far away from New York.

"Where do you want to go tonight? I've heard about a planned robbery…"

"What are your sources?"

"Believe me, you don't want to know."

The auditory hallucination was still there. Mikey decided it was worth taking the risk to look inside, even if Raph might notice and realize Mikey had the ability to follow him unnoticed - something Mikey had always been very careful to keep a secret.

And then Mikey noticed a shadow that looked very very much like Leo's - and that mixed scent of sweat and seriousness definitely belonged to his brother - and Mikey let out a very undignified startled cry.

* * *

"Leo! You're there?"

In the split second it took him to assess the situation, Leonardo noticed both Raph's surprise and Mikey's dismay. He stood stoically as his upset brother ran to him and embraced his plastron.

"You're real!"

"Yes, Mikey, I'm real," Leonardo said with a smile. "But what are you doing here?"

Mikey watched him with big eyes. "I'm in my city, bro! What about you? Why are you already back? Did something happen?"

And then Leonardo couldn't do anything else than telling him the truth. "I haven't left yet. I was…delayed."

All of a sudden Mikey's eyes narrowed to very annoyed slits, and Leonardo knew he was in trouble.

"What do you mean, you never left? You've been there for the past month?"

Oh yes. In deep trouble.

"Yes, Mikey."

"I can't believe you didn't tell me!"

"I _am_ going to leave," Leonardo tried to explain. "I just need to convince Raph here not to be so stubborn, even Casey agrees he's exaggerating, and..."

Leonardo realized too late it had been the wrong words.

"So Casey knows and I don't?"

Mikey had let tears come to his eyes, the traitor.

"It just happened, it wasn't intentional and…"

"My brother is consorting with the biggest troublemakers in town and I can't even find someone to play videogames with me!"

Raph, who was watching the show with great interest, grinned. "I'd say _you_ 're the biggest troublemaker in town, Mikey, not us."

"Shut up, you traitor. So that's why you've been taking all this food, uh?"

Mikey made for the bag Raph had brought and searched until he had found what looked like potato gratin. He bit angrily into it.

"I must say," he said, "that this is very disappointing."

"Mikey, I'm going to leave," Leonardo tried to soothe him. "What was the point of telling you? It's a matter of days now and…"

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that," Raph whispered.

Mikey took another furious bite and glared at Leonardo.

Leonardo put his hands on his hips. "Are you pouting?"

Mikey stuck his tongue out at him - a nasty sight considering he had his mouth full.

Leonardo relented. He was too happy to be talking to his brother to not want to indulge him anyways. "Okay, what can I do to be forgiven?"

Mikey pretended to think hard before raising a finger. "Now that you're saying it, I need a sidekick. For my next birthday party."

"What?"

"It's to throw pie at him. And the children will love to trample on someone else than me, I'm sure."

"Mikey..."

"YOU are perfect for that role."

Leonardo gave a very deep, very resigned sigh, deliberately ignoring Raph's thrilled face - you would have thought it was _his_ birthday party they were talking about. "Alright."

Mikey's brightest smile rewarded the sacrifice of his pride.

"Love you, bro."


	5. ... out of Control.

Donatello was anxious.

Too many what ifs were plaguing his brain.

 _What if_ one of them accidentally revealed his existence to a not well-meaning human?

 _What if_ their lair was discovered and attacked?

These thoughts weren't anything new, but it was the first time that he didn't manage to appease them. He knew it was because this time, should anything bad happen, he would be directly responsible for reacting accordingly.

 _What if_ he made a mistake?

They had survived this long. They had resources. He was, himself, a genius!

 _What if_ it wasn't enough?

Donatello took his head in his hands. He knew why these what ifs wouldn't leave him in peace. It was because of the last one, the new one.

 _What if_ Leo never came back? So many things could happen to him in the wild, and he would be all alone. He could be hurt, harmed, injured, left for dead in an alleyway or a ditch or a forest, and his family wouldn't know until it was too late…

The mere thought was crushing him. Since Donatello could remember, he and his brothers had thrived by supporting each other; one month without news from one of them felt like an eternity.

It was because of this last what if - to shut it up - that Donatello had taken a job. With people talking to him all the time, his inner voice had fewer opportunities to torture him.

In other words, he was trying - and managing - to wear himself out.

The distinctive ringtone announcing a new customer call offered a welcome distraction. He picked up.

"I'm Donatello, your friendly…"

"IT'S ABOUT TIME!"

Donatello turned down the volume on his headset and checked - the woman had waited for three minutes. This was going to be one of _those_ times.

Well, that was what he had wanted, wasn't it?

"Madam, I'm listening. What's your problem?"

"It doesn't work, that's my problem!"

"Could you please be a little more specific?"

"It does-not-work. How can I be more specific?"

Donatello took a deep silent breath and undertook the daunting task of tech-supporting yet another human being.

* * *

It took him thirty minutes to convince the woman to check whether she had plugged in her computer - which she hadn't.

Of course, she wasn't apologetic at all.

When she finally hung up, Donatello took a moment to reflect upon the world. How could people be so ignorant of the basics of computer science?

One thought leading to another, he considered how vast said world was, and how easy it would be for one being to get lost, especially if said being was, let's say, a teenage mutant turtle…

Mikey arrived just in time to break this dangerous train of thoughts.

"Hey, Donnie!"

"Hi, Mikey. How was your day?"

"Great!"

Donatello lifted a tired eyebrow.

Since Mikey was working in the entertainment industry, he was happy to spend time with humans - even if it was hidden behind a clever costume. However, such a level of enthusiasm was unusual.

"Anything special about it?"

Mikey grinned. "Oh, you know, it was just a great day. Kids being kids. They're such energetic little beings. Uh…"

Donatello was tired, but not tired enough that he couldn't see Mikey was hiding something.

"Did you break something?"

There were delicate electronics in the van Mikey was using.

"No, not me."

Now Donatello's interest was awakened. "Then who?"

"Oh, no, he neither!" Mikey looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "So have a nice night, Donnie, try to get some rest. Now I'm going to -"

Donatello let Mikey begin his tactical retreat before talking.

"If you don't tell me who was with you, I won't fix the remote next time it finds itself in your drink."

Mikey stopped dead in his tracks. "You won't?"

"Nope."

"Okay, then that's an emergency." Mikey came back to Donatello's desk and leaned forwards to whisper in his ear. "It was Leo. But don't tell him I told you."

Donatello's ultra-fast brain took several seconds to digest this piece of information.

"It was Leo."

"Yes."

"He's here."

"Yes."

"In New York."

"Yes."

"Here and now."

"Yes."

Donatello removed his headset and put it down on his desk. Calmly.

"You wouldn't happen to know his hiding place, now would you?"

Mikey merely grinned.

* * *

Leonardo lay on his makeshift bed. He had collapsed there as soon as he had come back from the birthday party and had no intention of leaving it any time soon. Not to mention that his new pillow - a gift from Mikey - was very comfortable.

He was going to need a whole night of meditation to soothe his poor soul, and a day of sleep after that.

"I take it you don't intend to come with us tonight." Raph's voice sounded way too amused for Leonardo's taste.

"Unless the world is ending, then yes." Leonardo closed his eyes in an attempt to calm the beginnings of a headache. "Have you any idea how _noisy_ fifteen kids can be? Even Mikey never reached that level."

Raph chuckled. "Alright. I was going to suggest we watch the video, but I'll take pity on you. We can do it tomorrow."

Leonardo opened a suspicious eye. "What video?"

"The video of you entertaining these children."

Raph was grinning so widely Leonardo was half-tempted to throw his pillow at him.

"There is a video?" he asked resignedly.

"Of course there is a video." Raph winked at him. "Now if you'll excuse me, Casey's waiting for me."

Leonardo nodded. "Have fun, and call if you need anything."

Raph rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to give some witty answer - probably that he was the most cautious of turtles - when a tornado burst into the room.

Leonardo jumped on his feet, his plans for meditation forgotten - but the tornado wasn't a danger.

Well, at least not that kind of danger.

"Hello, Leo."

Leonardo sheathed his katana and took in the sight in front of him. His brother Donnie, whom he hadn't seen in a month, was glaring at him with all the sheer power of his sleep-deprived eyes. Behind Donnie, Mikey was entering the room with the utmost discretion.

Leonardo glared at him. "You let it slip?" he said reproachfully.

"Sorry," Mikey said, not looking sorry at all. "It was life-and-death."

Leonardo decided to let it go and reported his attention on Donnie, who was waiting for something. A greeting, probably.

"Uh, hello, Donnie. How have you been?" Leonardo decided not to point out the obvious fact that Donnie looked like he was going to collapse from sheer exhaustion any second.

"Oh, you know, it comes and goes. Customer service, calls twenty-four seven, my brother who apparently didn't leave…"

"Yeah, about that…"

Leonardo tried to find a suitable answer, but Donnie's tone left no doubt about the fact he was one wrong word away from exploding, and Leonardo didn't want to pull the trigger.

Donnie didn't press him. Instead, he examined the room.

"Not bad, but it could be so much better," he muttered to himself.

Which was an understatement. The room was almost empty.

And then Donnie tilted his head at Mikey and Raph. "Could you please leave us?"

"Sure," the two chorused.

Leonardo watched them leave, reading Raph's silent "Good luck" on his brother's lips.

Then he was alone with Donnie.

Should he try to hug him? He was happy to see him, he really was; but hugging wasn't his forte.

"Thirty-four days, Leo," Donnie suddenly said. "816 hours. 48 960 minutes. And you were there all along?"

Donnie sounded like it was a personal offense done to him, and maybe it was. For sure, Leonardo wasn't feeling so great.

"I meant to leave. I still do. It's just…" He cut himself off. Was it indispensable that they had this conversation standing?

"Do you want to sit down?" he offered. He took his blanket and put it on the ground.

Donnie nodded stiffly and sat down, crossing his arms as well as his legs.

"So," Leonardo said, utterly conscious that it was, somehow, his mess to fix. "Let me tell you a story."

Twenty minutes later, Donnie had abandoned his rigid posture and was watching him with less hurt.

"You should have told Mikey and me when Raph found out," he pointed out.

"I know. I just didn't want to… You know I have to go. I guess I didn't want to say goodbye twice." Leonardo offered his brother a sheepish smile.

Donnie rested his chin on his fists, and his elbows on his thighs. "I know," he said sadly.

Silence stretched. Leonardo broke it before it threatened to engulf them both.

"So how's your job going?"

Donnie shrugged. "It does its job," he said mysteriously. "And I make money out of it, which is a plus."

He didn't say more, but Leonardo wasn't fooled. Something was wrong with his brother, and it wasn't merely the lack of sleep.

"What's the matter, Donnie?" he prompted him.

Donnie sighed, shrugged, looked away. Leonardo didn't like one bit how dismissive he acted.

"Nothing you should worry about."

"Donnie, please. If it's weighing on you this much, I want to hear it."

Donnie abruptly stood up to gaze through the window.

"Look, I'm not sure I want to talk about it. Like you said, you have to go, and I…"

"You what?" Leonardo said quietly. He knew the signs. Now that Donnie was willing to talk, it was of the utmost importance not to break his flow.

"I'll still be supposed to be the leader," Donnie whispered, so low that Leonardo barely heard him.

"Is it a problem?" Leonardo asked, careful to keep his voice as neutral as before even though his heart was beating faster.

Donatello's body visibly tensed. "No, why would it? Of course, Raph has made clear from Day One that he expected me not to interfere with anything he does, but that's okay. He's Raph, it's to be expected."

"What isn't okay?"

For a moment, Leonardo thought that Donnie wasn't going to answer. When his brother finally turned to him, his words took Leonardo by surprise.

"Am I not good at what I do?"

"What? You excel at what you do, Donnie, don't you know that?"

Donnie nodded fiercely. "That's right, I am. So why would you want me to be someone else?"

Leonardo blinked. "I don't?"

"Really? I never wanted to be leader, Leo."

"But… that's an honor!"

"To you, no doubt." Donnie gave a heavy sigh.

"You were also the most logical choice," Leonardo added, still lost and hoping that his brother would make his opinion a little clearer.

"No, _you_ 're the most logical choice." Donnie threw up his arms. "And I have no idea how you do it!"

"What do you mean?"

"I keep thinking about everything that could happen. All the time! It's driving me crazy."

Now Leonardo understood. He nodded softly. "Then why didn't you tell me before I left? I could have helped you deal with it."

Donnie watched him with exasperation. "I had no idea it would be like this! And besides, did it really matter? Neither you nor Sensei thought to ask me what I was thinking about that decision."

Leonardo realized with shame that his brother was right. It had never occurred to him that Donnie might not want to be leader by interim. The blue-banded turtle knew how much of a burden it could be, of course; but it was also his contribution to the safety and well-being of his family, and _that_ made him happy.

But that wasn't how Donnie cared about his family. Donnie cared about his family by making their lives better and more comfortable, and by saving said lives with high-tech gear - and his courage and his genius, and how could he feel like it wasn't enough to Leonardo?

Time to fix that.

Leonardo stood up to face his brother. "Okay. I'm asking you now. What do you want?"

Donnie looked him in the eye. "What I want is selfish," he said, his voice forlorn.

"Let's assume you're allowed to be selfish. What do you want?" Leonardo gave his brother a reassuring smile, like it was a game and not one of the most important questions he had ever asked him, so Donnie would dare to give his answer.

"I want to go back to inventing," Donnie whispered. "I want to stop worrying about you getting lost away from us. I want you to stay."

And thus Leonardo's fate was sealed.


	6. Now Will He Come Back?

_Present_

April couldn't believe how much Splinter had aged.

To be honest, the rat master had always looked old to her; but until then she had never thought of him as frail. Now, in the dim light, with his tone so sad and his whiskers untidy...

"How are you doing?" she said, taking the cup of tea he was handing her.

Splinter sighed. "I keep hoping Leonardo will walk through the door," he admitted. "Every second. He hates being late, I can't think of what might be delaying him."

His intonation implied that he could, in fact, think about it all too well.

April spontaneously put her hand over his. "I'm sure Leo will do everything he can to go back to his family."

Splinter offered her a pale smile. "Thank you, April." He sighed. "I should talk to Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael. Ask them how they feel. But they look so _normal_ \- they're taking the wait way better than me." He stroked his beard. "I should put the same faith in Leonardo that they do. It's like doubt has no hold on them."

"Yes, you should." April patted the old rat's hand before sipping her tea.

She had come to visit Splinter regularly for the past year, and more so for the last week. She knew how the absence of news from his son had taken its toll on the father. That added wait didn't do him any favors.

She made a silent prayer that Leonardo wouldn't be delayed much longer.

Before leaving, she paid a visit to Donatello. Her friend was working hard in the tech support business, a strange career choice if you asked her - but who was she to judge?

"Hi, Donnie, may I come in?"

"Of course!" Donatello beamed at her.

She was pleased to see he looked relatively non-sleep deprived. She had been really worried about him in the first month of Leonardo's absence.

"How is it going?"

Donatello winked at her. "It's business as usual. People who don't understand anything about tech call to complain that _I_ don't understand anything. It makes them feel better."

"Are you a psychologist, too?"

"More like a fine observer of human nature."

April chuckled. The heavy sadness weighing upon her lifted a little.

"What do you think of Splinter?" Donatello asked, his tone suddenly serious.

She grimaced. "He's concealing his worry well, but I can tell it's eating him."

Donatello sighed. "Yes, I know."

She tilted her head. "What about you? Aren't you..." She hesitated. She wasn't sure how to end her sentence. Aren't you worried about your brother? Aren't you mad he hasn't come back yet?

Donatello looked her in the eye. "I'm waiting for my family to finally be reunited," he said firmly. "Everything else is an impossibility."

April felt warmed by the certainty of his tone. "Of course."

Her turtle friend stood up and began searching through his stuff.

"Tell me, April," he began, not looking at her. "If you could talk to him, what would you say?"

April shrugged. "I would tell him that he's needed there, now. Why?"

"Nothing," Donatello said swiftly. "Just a question."

April lifted an eyebrow and waited to see if he would expand, but Donatello didn't.

* * *

Leonardo watched the room that had sheltered him for the past year. Thanks to Donatello, it was way more comfortable now than it had been when he first found it. It had a mini-heater, a state-of-the-art waterbed, satellite TV and a top-notch security system.

The dozens of cushions scattered everywhere were Mikey's touch, though.

Yes, he had been able to call this cozy place a home. However, he couldn't stay there much longer; the mayor had finally taken the decision to demolish the building.

Not to mention that his time was up.

For the umpteenth time, Leonardo thought about the decisions he had made.

At first, he had stayed in the city to watch over his brothers and reassure himself before leaving for his grand journey. But they had shown him, more or less explicitly, that they needed him - and he had stayed for good.

And if he was entirely honest with himself, he had no regrets. The last eleven months had been filled with everything he loved: adventure, crime-fighting, ninjitsu, teamwork.

His brothers.

Well, with almost everything he loved. He missed Splinter's presence, their discussions and his teaching.

He was still amazed by how his brothers had managed to keep his secret safe from their father. Donnie had kept his job, but he had registered his voice and designed software that answered automatically, thanks to something he called 'machine learning'. How machines could learn was a mystery to Leonardo, but he trusted his brother.

Donnie had shown him the results with great enthusiasm. To Leonardo's beginner mind, the preregistered voice said 'switch on the device' a lot, but apparently it was a desired behavior.

Mikey had kept his business too, but he had reduced the number of parties he did. "It's still entertainment business, except I'm entertaining myself," he had explained gravely to Leonardo when the blue-banded turtle had asked him whether it bothered him to lie to Splinter.

And Raph... Well, Raph apparently kept leaving the lair whenever it pleased him, and didn't feel like he had to offer any explanations to Splinter.

Leonardo didn't really like that, but he said nothing. It wasn't like he had any moral ground to stand on anyways.

He sighed.

Yes, his brothers had been amazingly understanding of his wish not to tell Splinter anything, even now that his year off was officially over. But the situation was becoming untenable.

He took a look at the clock.

His brothers would soon be there.

* * *

Mikey came first. He collapsed on the cushions and began eating the giant pizza he had brought - "while it's still warm," he said.

Raph was next. He had been riding the new bicycle Donnie had made for him - apparently he was madly in love with the thing. The best proof of it was that he completely ignored Mikey's teasing on the matter. He sat down next to Leo and grabbed a piece of pizza, complaining that he was left with scraps.

Donnie was last. He sneaked inside the room and sat down with a pensive expression.

"So, Leo?" Mikey asked, his mouth full. "What next?"

The question was casual, but Leonardo wasn't fooled.

"How are things going at home?" he asked instead of answering.

"Splinter waits for you. That's all he does these days, really," Mikey stated. "He's really sad."

"Yeah, even I am taking pity on him. Even if he did send you away in the first place - a very misguided decision, I must say."

"Raph!" Leonardo couldn't help protesting at hearing such open criticism of his father.

"Like you could say anything else. And I'll remember you I'm not the one he's waiting for," Raph said, unfazed.

"April has been spending a lot of time with him," Donatello interjected. "Maybe you should talk to her."

Leonardo raised an eyebrow. "So someone new can try to emotionally blackmail me?"

Donnie winked at him. "Let's call it _positive reinforcement_."

Leonardo sighed. "Fine. You're right, this can't go on. It's just… I hate the idea of disappointing him."

"Too late for that. But if you want to beat yourself up so much, I can help with the beating part. Do you want me to help?" Raph said hopefully.

"Forget it."

"That's too bad."

* * *

April wasn't waiting for any guests - neither human guests nor secret mutant turtles guests. So she was surprised to hear the discrete knock at her window.

She lost no time in opening it, and couldn't believe her eyes when she saw who was waiting for her.

"Leo!"

The blue-banded leader looked exactly like he had one year ago, from the softness in his eyes to the smile he was offering her. "Hi, April. May I enter?"

"Of course! " April's grin could have competed with Mikey's as she hugged him. "Leo, it's amazing! I've barely left the lair, I must have missed you by about three inches. Your father must be overjoyed. He was really beginning to worry!"

Leonardo didn't answer, and his face grew somber. April's grin vanished.

"Did I say something wrong? What happened?"

Her friend closed his eyes briefly, indicating inner emotional turmoil. "It's a long story."

"Well, I have all the time in the world." She waved for him to sit down. "I'll make us some tea."

She had already drunk tea at the lair, but she remembered how much Leonardo loved the beverage - it would have been an unpardonable error not to make some for him.

Leonardo's story was long indeed, and April listened without interrupting. In the end, she leaned against the back of her chair.

"Wow. Talk about an unexpected turn of events," she mused. "And I take it you've still not come home?"

Leonardo shook his head.

"Are you hiding from your father?" April asked softly.

Leonardo grimaced. "It certainly looks like it, doesn't it?"

April decided it was time to state the obvious. "Leo…The more you wait and the harder it'll be."

"I know you're right. It's just..."

"It's just what?" April prompted him.

"I have no regrets," Leonardo whispered. "Even knowing that it wasn't what he wanted - that I _failed_ \- I still feel that I did the right thing." Leonardo bowed his head in shame. "He'll be heartbroken."

April put a hand on his forearm. "I think you underestimate how much he loves you. All of you. Give him a chance, Leo. He really is miserable right now."

Leonardo looked her in the eye. " _Miserable?_ That's what you think?"

She merely nodded.


	7. He Better Would.

Leonardo's heart beat faster as he entered his home. The place was as familiar as ever, although a few items scattered here and there betrayed that time had passed.

Publicity brochures for Michelangelo's birthday services. Donatello's most recent electronics. Raphael's brand new helmet.

Splinter's tea cooling down on the small table next to his favorite armchair.

Splinter himself wasn't in sight, and Leonardo took a deep breath.

"He must be in the bathroom," a voice whispered from above.

Leonardo gave the shadows of the ceiling a meaningful look.

"Really, Mikey?"

"Just trying to help, bro."

"How about not spying on us why we have that delicate conversation? _That_ would help."

"I'm not spying, nor have I ANY intent to do so."

There was shuffling amongst the pipes, and Leonardo caught sight of an orange bandana tail.

"I'm just... cleaning."

Despite his apprehension, Leonardo couldn't help chuckling.

"You're cleaning? Now? When was the last time such a thing happened?"

"It was too long ago, Leo! You wouldn't believe how much dust there is up there."

"And I guess you're helping him?" Leonardo said matter-of-factly to another part of the ceiling.

Raph's embarrassed voice answered. "Of course! It's less of a chore together."

Leonardo tried to feel exasperated, but he didn't really mind. When he had told his brothers that he was going home tonight and had refused that they accompanied him, he fully expected something like this.

The arrival of a frail silhouette drew his attention back to the matter at hand.

"Leonardo?" Splinter said, entering the living room with small, deliberate steps.

Leonardo felt a lump in his throat. April hadn't exaggerated. His father looked much older than he had when Leonardo had left.

As if it had been an eternity ago, and not only one year.

"Hello, Father," Leonardo said, his voice hoarse.

Splinter all but squeezed him. "Welcome home, my son."

Leonardo hugged him back, a bit awkwardly. He wasn't used to his father being this demonstrative, not since he was a little boy.

After a while, Splinter released him and smiled. "Come, we have to talk."

Leonardo dutifully followed him to Splinter's chambers, where the keen ears of the ceiling shadows wouldn't hear them.

* * *

After so much time spent in a top floor apartment, it felt strange to be underground again. The air smelled different, and the subway could be heard through the walls.

And his father's antechamber, pompously called so because it was placed right before Splinter's room - a place the turtles never went to - seemed smaller than in his memory.

Leonardo knelt on the carpet in front of his father and waited for him to talk. Splinter's eyes moistened ever so slightly as he watched him.

"I'm happy you found your way to us again, my son."

Leonardo bowed his head. "Me too, Master Splinter."

"Have you already talked to your brothers? They seemed impatient when they came home tonight. Very eager to clean."

Leonardo couldn't help smiling softly. "Yes."

"I thought you might have met them on your way from the boat." Splinter nodded. "It was a boat, right?"

Leonardo's smile disappeared. "Not exactly."

"Oh? Then tell me about your journey. I want to know everything you're willing to say."

His father's obvious enthusiasm was painful to Leonardo.

"It was… most unexpected," the turtle began.

"That's often the case with journeys."

Leonardo took a deep breath to focus his courage. It was time he gave his father an account of the last year.

He didn't look forward to his inevitable disappointment.

"I never left New York," he said decisively. "I intended to at first, but it turned out differently."

Splinter's eyes widened, but he didn't interrupt him.

"This is what happened," Leonardo went on.

And he finally undertook to tell his father everything.

* * *

"What do you think they're saying?" Michelangelo anxiously spun back and forth.

"Take a guess," Raphael said, just as anxiously drumming his fingers on Donatello's desk.

Both of them had taken shelter in Donatello's lab after their clever spying attempt had been thwarted. Donatello had decided he would better wait in peace and quiet until Leonardo and Splinter were done, but it looked like this wouldn't be an option after all.

Michelangelo jumped absent-mindedly over his brother's desk.

"Donnie, don't you have a micro in Splinter's chambers?"

Donatello raised an eye ridge. "No, Mikey. I don't have micros anywhere inside the lair."

Michelangelo sighed. "I hate waiting," he said, spinning once more.

"If it's any comfort to you, Mikey, we hate to see you waiting too." Raphael sighed. His brother made him giddy.

 _You're one to talk,_ Donatello thought as Raphael drummed his fingers even louder.

But he didn't protest. He was as anxious as the other two.

* * *

Splinter listened intently, his expression unreadable, as Leonardo related his tale.

In the end, the blue-masked turtle watched his father in the eye.

"I'm sorry I failed you," he whispered.

Splinter sighed, so heavily that it surprised his son. It didn't look like the old rat had the room to store that much air in his lungs.

"So your brothers knew."

"Yes," Leonardo answered as gently as he could. "I, uh… I asked them not to tell you."

He fell silent, not knowing what else to say. Should he try to explain to his father how ashamed he had been? But also, how he had tried to respect his wishes - by changing his lifestyle, by surviving without _him_.

Splinter's ears twitched, a sure sign he wasn't happy.

"I see."

* * *

"Donnie, are you certain you can't overhear?"

"I'm certain," Donatello said patiently as he removed a few delicate items from his brother's chaotic path.

"I say it's an emergency. We should have micros ready for emergencies."

"Mikey, what about privacy?"

"I have no idea what that word means."

"That's right, you wouldn't," muttered Raphael-the-Finger-Drummer.

"Think about Raph's ' _He Who Trespasses Shall Meet His Doom'_ door's sign. That's a clear manifestation of the existence of privacy."

Raphael solemnly nodded.

* * *

Splinter watched his son. However conflicted Leonardo's emotions might be, they didn't show on his face.

He hoped the same could be said from him.

He had thought he knew his sons better than this - but obviously he had been wrong.

 _I'm an old, stupid rat_. _When did I stop understanding them?_

'I'm sorry', Leonardo had said - and Splinter knew it meant 'I'm sorry I disappointed you.'

However, in the tranquil gaze of the son he had missed so much, was a peace Splinter recognized.

'I'm sorry, but what I did was right.'

Splinter knew he had only two choices. Blaming Leonardo for his decision, and risking losing him - granted, not here, not now, his son was way too respectful for that, but little by little it would happen - or curbing his own anger and disappointment and accept it.

With enough honesty to acknowledge that said anger and disappointment weren't entirely directed at his sons.

After the long days when he had waited for Leonardo's return, when he had feared he might have lost his son forever, he knew what the only answer could be.

"Maybe I'm the one who failed you," Splinter said slowly. "Maybe I was wrong to ask this from you. From all of you."

Leonardo's eyes widened, showing how deep his surprise was.

"Yes, really." Splinter smoothed his whiskers. The gesture always calmed him. "Would you mind bringing your brothers here? I need to talk to all of you."

* * *

"Really, Donnie, a tiny micro wouldn't hurt. Tiny tiny tiny. Or maybe a camera?"

"Mikey. NO."

"Come ooooon! You have plenty of those!"

"What micro?"

Michelangelo started. "Leo! You're here?"

Said turtle came inside Donatello's lab, his eyes narrowed. Michelangelo grinned and stopped moving to better focus on making an innocent face.

"It's about time," Raphael grumbled. "So? How did it go?"

Leonardo raised his hands in perplexity. "I'm not sure. He wants to talk to all of us."

Donatello stood up swiftly. "Then let's not make him wait any longer."

* * *

Splinter waited until his four sons were sitting in a line in front of him. He still remembered vividly how they had done the same thing as kids - his baby turtles had grown up so fast.

"My sons." He watched each of them in turn. "I'm not happy that you've been hiding something so important from me."

Michelangelo grinned sheepishly and Donatello nodded gravely, as did Leonardo.

Raphael merely shrugged. He was avoiding Splinter's gaze, and Splinter realized he was still hurting from his father's decision to send Leonardo away.

Splinter would have to try and fix that later.

"However, I'm willing to be forgiving. I am, after all, most happy that we're together once again." He made a pause. "When I asked Leonardo to leave, I intended for him to demonstrate that he could survive on his own, and that he could learn from it."

Leonardo grimaced.

"Instead, he demonstrated something else - that your bonds were so strong not even my order could separate you."

His sons nodded.

"I have been raised in the traditional view that ninja must know how to work solo, and that's what I tried to teach you," Splinter went on.

"But Master Splinter, we know how to stand on our own," Raphael objected. "We have, many times."

"Never for long, my son."

"We're not exactly conventional ninja either," Michelangelo said. "Why should we act like them?"

And maybe he was right. His sons were denied so much just because they were mutants in a world of humans, why should they give up on each other's company, even for a single year, because an old-fashioned rat was blind to the obvious?

They wanted to be together. They _belonged_ together.

And as much as Splinter thought it was both a blessing and a curse, making them vulnerable and strong - his sons wouldn't have it any other way.

"I still can't say Leonardo passed the test," Splinter said firmly. "New York City is your domain. Staying there doesn't prove he has the skills necessary to survive elsewhere - not that I think he doesn't," he added quickly.

"Then why not take this test again? All of us, like I suggested last year," Raphael said in a dispassionate tone.

Splinter wasn't fooled.

"I think…"

Leonardo, Donatello and Michelangelo waited for his answer in expectation.

"… and considering the recent events..."

Now even Raphael was hanging onto his every word.

"… it's worth considering," Splinter finished.

He listened fondly to the happy exclamations of his four beloved sons.

"You could leave for one month," he added. It would be a long time, but not as excruciatingly long as a year. "But not too soon. First we must celebrate!"

"And we'll write postcards," Mikey offered.

"The lair doesn't exactly have a mailbox," Donatello said.

"Then we'll write emails."

Splinter cleared his throat. "I don't know how to use a computer, my son."

"It's the perfect opportunity to learn! Don't you always say we have to keep an open mind?"

Michelangelo was beaming at him, and Raphael was smiling, and Leonardo and Donatello were exchanging meaningful looks - probably already planning their travel - and Splinter knew he had to let go of his own expectations.

For years he had tried to raise them according to his ideals, hopes and fears - maybe it was time to let them take their destiny into their own hands.

Maybe they had already. And he felt sad, but also proud.

_So be it._

"I would love to learn, my son."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _And that's it! Thank you so much to everyone who showed interest for that plot bunny. You're making writing a not-so-solitary experience after all._
> 
> _Take good care of you! <3_


End file.
